tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3859932972602672224.post2177672412225586983..comments2024-03-27T20:47:44.536-06:00Comments on Random Thoughts by Mark Milliorn: George Washington and SlaveryMark Milliornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13604793462527896688noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3859932972602672224.post-26711963726685018932018-01-23T03:01:55.821-07:002018-01-23T03:01:55.821-07:00The power of culture to lock one into illogical th...The power of culture to lock one into illogical thought is incredible. Having grown up in East Texas, I grew up with older relatives who believed in the Declaration and Constitution and that all men are created equal and in the Golden Rule and that Jesus died for all our sins. And yet they resented attempts by blacks and Mexicans to improve their station, especially if that station put them above their own stations. Status was a big deal in the South of the 50s and 60s for white folk. Yet oddly enough the principles they taught me from the Bible gave me a completely different attitude when I grew up. I suspect they were less racist than their parents and so on and son going back generations. An Aunt of mine told me that she thought she had escaped her parents' racism when she was young, but she told me that it came back to haunt her when she grew old. Except she never stopped fighting it. And that's the thing. Washington did some very wise and inspiring things but as a Southerner, he had a powerful culture that locked him into having serious blind spots. He could totally believe all men are created equal and that slavery was justified. It doesn't make sense to us now, but then it just seemed right. If you remember any of your Old Testament History, Look at how long it took the Israelites to go from shepherds to slaves in Egypt and then back to the point the culture was in the right place to create Christianity. Then look at how hard Christianity has had to work at it to achieve the imperfect gains we've made so far. And yet still there is a segment that desires nothing more than to have power over others and to set ourselves above others because of our race, our culture, nationality, political party or Harvard education.<br /><br />It's why there will never be a human utopia. We are born with original sin baked in our bones and I firmly believe it will take a lifetime of tribulation and practice being decent folk and then it will take Jesus coming before we're scrubbed completely clean of our innate propensity to be right royal assholes! I admire George Washington for rising above himself and his culture as far as he did to put us on the road to where we are now. He deserves at least that credit. Not everyone was Ben Franklin and even he wasn't exactly a sinless character. But hey, Robert E. Lee fought for the South because it was home and he couldn't bring himself to fight against Virginia, even though he believed Slavery was wrong himself. Again culture and habit overwhelm one's ability to reason to some extent. It's tough to get past your childhood training. <br /><br />Just sayin'.<br /><br />TomTom Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16700342512275624543noreply@blogger.com